Let’s Fight Cancer

In a serious concern, Kashmir has been engulfed by various types of cancers, affecting people from length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir. State government has greater responsibility to arrange facilities for the patients and prioritize health sector and make bring in synergy and help patients to feel better and psychologically stable. In a significant development, the Department of Radiation Oncology Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura has been granted project Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) which will be funded by Indian Council of Medical Research to help establish cancer incidence in Kashmir. This is in addition to existing Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR), affiliated to National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) Banglore and data pertaining to all cancer patients since 2011 a number of patients have been transferred online to NCRP. However there is much to be done as far as the facilities and other resources at the Kashmir’s premiere healthcare Institute is concerned. In Kashmir, where good Medicare is scarce, and central healthcare system is in shambles, for cancer patients, the diagnosis is nothing short of a death sentence. While there is a lack of proper medical infrastructure, there are also no provisions to cater to mental health of the patient. There are no counseling centers or sessions in the healthcare institutions, especially in the tertiary healthcare institute SKIMS. For patients diagnosed with any type of Cancer, it is as if they are left to be living corpses, for even before their bodies fail them, it is their spirit and their will to live that dies. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing an unprecedented increase of cancer and the PBCR in addition to hospital-based registry will give a fair idea of cancer incidence. In an alarming trend over 30% of the cancer cases in Kashmir are caused due to smoking. At the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, the cancer cases are on rise for the past many years. The officials at SKIMS are reported to have said that in previous year, they saw more than 4000 cases of cancer patients at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), SKIMS. There is yearly increase in the registrations. There are 200 types of cancers worldwide and many of them are found in Kashmir adding that the lung cancers are common in Kashmir and are increasing. More and more patients are registered every year at the institute. As per the figures of RCC 4438 new cancer patients were registered at the centre in 2104-2015. Between January-December 2014, 3940 patients were registered. As many as 3000 patients were registered in 2011. We need to adhere to the active lifestyle to fight cancer. Colonic cancers have increased which is related to diet. We take more of red meats and more of grilled chicken this is also an important factor. Lifestyle is very important we should have more facility for exercise. Cycling is very important and we should maintain weight of our body. Cancer doesn’t only impact the patient, but also the family of the patient. They are also confined to immense depression, and grief and it devastates everyone. The cancer mortality rate among Kashmiris has increased due to some leading behavioural and dietary risks, including high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and lack of regular check-up. The government and society at large should come forward for helping these patients in Kashmir. Brighter Kashmir pledges to make contributions in creating mass awareness in order to fight cancer. We all must join hands and fight this dreaded disease. Let’s all fight cancer, Lets all defeat it.